The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 63

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 63

 

“Training?”

 

Suddenly, words like a bolt from the blue poured out.

 

Carlos had awakened, and my body had recovered, so I thought we could finally take a breather.

 

But Demian just dropped a bomb out of nowhere.

 

At my bewildered question, Demian shrugged as if wondering what I was so surprised about.

 

“Yes.”

 

“All of a sudden?”

 

“Your Highness needs to build up your physical strength.”

 

That damn physical strength again.

 

“The self-defense techniques I taught you before seemed too weak. They were just the basics of basics. This time, I’m thinking of teaching you more seriously.”

 

“More seriously means…”

 

“Basic physical training and self-defense. We’ll start today.”

 

His green eyes were serious. I didn’t know for sure, but it was the face of someone who had made a firm decision.

 

“Grand Duke, no, Demian. Are you serious?”

 

“When have you ever seen me joke around with Your Highness?”

 

Never.

 

Not once.

 

“I’ve been thinking about it since the day you returned. I was just waiting for Your Highness to recover.”

 

So it was planned.

 

“Training…”

 

Actually, thinking from Demian’s perspective, I could understand.

 

He and Carlos had left the mansion saying we were going to the Eastern Temple, only to return covered in blood and transported by Sion. How shocked he must have been. Considering how many times he had warned me before I left, it wasn’t that surprising.

 

“There’s no guarantee that something like that won’t happen again.”

 

“That’s… true.”

 

“When that happens, Your Highness needs to be able to run away. Or at least buy time. For that, you need physical strength.”

 

Demian spoke with a serious expression.

 

“This time it was fine because Father was there, but neither Father nor I can always be by your side.”

 

I was at a loss for words.

 

Normally I would have thrown a tantrum and refused, but this time I couldn’t say anything.

 

I remembered trembling in the carriage, only able to watch Carlos fight. Me, who could only cower and do nothing. I resented my weak body. The fact that I had no way to help when someone was bleeding to protect me.

 

Eventually, I nodded slowly.

 

“…Alright.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I said I’ll do it. The training.”

 

Demian blinked. He seemed flustered that I was following along more obediently than expected.

 

“What’s with that expression? You’re the one who announced it, Grand Duke.”

 

“…I thought you would throw a tantrum and refuse.”

 

Accurate.

 

“My thinking has changed a little.”

 

“Your thinking?”

 

“You’re right, Demian. I felt it too back then. That I’m too weak.”

 

Demian stared at me intently.

 

His eyes looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Instead, he grabbed my wrist and stood up.

 

“Right now?”

 

“Right now.”

 

“Really sharp as a blade…”

 

Though I grumbled, I obediently got up and followed.

 

Led by Demian’s hand, I shuffled down the corridor and ran into Mia on the first floor, who was bustling about.

 

“Oh my, where are you two going?”

 

Mia asked with wide eyes.

 

“Training.”

 

“With Your Highness?”

 

“…That’s how it turned out, Mia.”

 

Mia looked back and forth between Demian and me, then smiled slyly.

 

“You two seem to be getting along much better lately. Well, the young master has been worrying about Your Highness a lot.”

 

“…It’s not like that.”

 

“When you two are together like this, you look just like siblings.”

 

“Mia, don’t say weird things!”

 

“Oh my. Of course, of course. I’ll bring some snacks to the Training Grounds.”

 

“Busybody…”

 

Demian muttered grumpily and quickened his pace.

 

“Ah, wait, you’re too fast!”

 

“When will those short legs of yours ever grow longer, Your Highness?”

 

This guy, seriously.

 

In the end, I was dragged along by Demian’s hand like a dangling keychain and arrived at the training grounds.

 

‘To think the day would come when I’d visit this place again.’

 

Not much had changed from a few months ago. The wide courtyard was neatly organized, and well-maintained weapon racks were placed on one side. If I had to find a difference, it would be that there were about five times more training dummies in between.

 

While I was blankly looking around the training grounds, Demian brought something from the weapon rack.

 

It was a wooden sword.

 

…Wait, a wooden sword?

 

“Try holding this.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“I’m telling you to grip it in your hand.”

 

“Are you serious? You’re going to teach me swordsmanship?”

 

“It’s an extension of self-defense. I’m not asking you to master the sword perfectly. You just need to learn basic defensive movements.”

 

“But I’ve never done anything like swordsmanship before…”

 

“That’s why I’m teaching you.”

 

Demian lifted up his own wooden sword.

 

“First, try following along. I’ll start with your posture.”

 

The moment I received the wooden sword in bewilderment, my body swayed.

 

“Ugh.”

 

Demian caught me with a surprised expression.

 

“…What’s this?”

 

“That’s why I said it wouldn’t work. Don’t you remember it took me barely ten days to succeed at that self-defense thing I did with Demian back then? And that was a long time ago, so I’ve forgotten it all by now.”

 

“This is seriously problematic…”

 

“I can hear everything.”

 

“I said it for you to hear.”

 

Demian narrowed his eyes.

 

“You have such talent for giving advice on other people’s training, but what good is it if you can’t even hold a sword properly?”

 

“That’s different. I’ve watched knights train so much at the Imperial Palace that I’m sick of it. I definitely know the theory. I’m just weak in practice.”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

Demian gave a half-hearted response and brought a different sword this time. It was much lighter than the wooden sword I had just held.

 

“This is the sword I used when I was five years old.”

 

“So my physical strength matches Demian’s five-year-old self.”

 

“Do you finally understand how serious this is?”

 

“I already knew that.”

 

I glared at Demian and gripped the sword. It was an unfamiliar weight in my hand.

 

Demian looked me over with satisfaction and shrugged.

 

“Good. Now strap the sword to your waist and run.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

Weren’t we going to swing swords?

 

At my bewildered reaction, Demian snorted as if he found it ridiculous.

 

“With Your Highness Loreia’s stamina, if you swing a sword, you won’t be able to get out of bed the next day.”

 

“Then why did you tell me to hold the sword?”

 

“To get used to the weight. Running with a sword strapped on and just running are worlds apart.”

 

“I see… That makes sense.”

 

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you running?”

 

Then he swiftly took the lead.

 

I had expected it, but the training was harder than I thought.

 

The previous self-defense training felt like child’s play in comparison.

 

Starting with running, then basic posture, and simple movements. It continued with almost no break time.

 

After about an hour, sweat poured down like rain. My legs were shaking. I felt like my lungs would burst.

 

“Haaa.”

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Probably…”

 

Actually, I’m not alright. I feel like I’m dying.

 

Demian examined my condition and nodded.

 

“That’s enough for today. Rest for now.”

 

He pushed me under the shade of a tree. As soon as I sat on the ground, all strength left my body.

 

“I’ll continue training. Drink this and have some of these.”

 

Demian placed water and cookies that Mia had brought in the meantime into my hands one by one, then walked back to the center of the training grounds.

 

Every time he swung his sword toward the air, sharp sword winds arose. His movements were fast and precise. His muscles moved gracefully following the blade.

 

I watched him while alternately taking sips of water and bites of cookies.

 

‘Has he gotten somewhat used to the holy sword now?’

 

He still seemed unable to handle sword energy, but his way of wielding the holy sword was much more natural than before. His handling skills had noticeably improved since I first saw him.

 

At this rate, he might really awaken as a Sword Master within a year.

 

‘If only that could happen…’

 

Then I might be able to feel a bit more at ease too.

 

But awakening the holy sword wasn’t as simple as it sounded. I had heard that only when true resonance occurs can one be fully recognized as the master of the holy sword.

 

‘It seems like some kind of catalyst would be needed after all.’

 

Come to think of it, Demian’s awakening as a Sword Master before my regression was also due to some incident. Back then, I wasn’t that interested in Demian, so I couldn’t remember. If I had known it would come to this, I should have done some background research.

 

Whether I was having impure thoughts or not, Demian was absorbed in his training.

 

How much time had passed like that?

 

After watching for what felt like over an hour, Demian sheathed his sword and approached the shade where I was.

 

When I offered him water, he naturally took it and drank while asking.

 

“Have you rested enough now?”

 

“Yes, well….”

 

I mumbled my answer and then looked straight up at him.

 

“Say, Demian, why do you want to become strong?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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